Transition

Take it from me—a 10 year Marine Corps vet; Transition is Difficult. It took me a solid six years to figure out all the knowledge, and collect the resources that I have in order to help my fellow veterans transition smoothly and not have to struggle the way many of the vets I have helped over the years… including myself.

We fight to figure out how to be “civilians” again, but the fact is you will never be a civilian… because you are a veteran.

These are real numbers that nobody thinks they’ll be a part of:

15

APPROXIMATE PERCENTAGE OF THE AMERICAN POPULATION THAT ARE VETERANS

9

APPROXIMATE PERCENT OF THE HOMELESS POPULATION THAT ARE VETERANS

5

APPROXIMATE PERCENT OF POST-9/11 VETERANS THAT ARE UNEMPLOYED

22

APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF VETERAN SUICIDES PER DAY

These numbers are a part of the reason I wrote, “How to Grow a Beard: A Military Transition Guide Back Into Civilian Life.” This book is primarily based on my story on how I weaved back into the civilian life, however—it is also the voice of every single veteran who has been thrown out to the wolves, to fend for themselves. Thrown out to learn the protocols of the civilian world and endure an—at times—intense mental battle. Thrown out to learn how to reintegrate with the real world again all over again. In our transition work together, we cover topics such as reframing what sacrifice means to you, learning what you’re worth in the civilian workplace, converting military service into civilian language for resumes and interviews, learning how to show humility in the workplace, integrating back with friends and family again, and even work on swallowing your pride in order to allow others to help out with your transition.

With veteran suicide, and veteran homelessness at an all-time high, it is no secret that transition can be hard and overwhelming. My goal is to make your military transition as smooth as possible by providing tools, resources, and lessons learned. Whether you are about to leave the service or have been out in the civilian trenches for a while, don’t wait for help in order to transition successfully.